Friday, April 5, 2013

Houseless

Ask me what my favorite genre of music is and I'll tell you House Music. Its true. There is no other music that makes me feel like House. Its gender neutral for the most part and usually positive, when its not its gender-bending and fun or funny.

I was introduced to House in the 80's in Trinidad at clubs, that like they do today, play a cross section of music. My friends and I would revel, though, in the thumping bass lines of songs that were taking electronica into vocal realms never heard before.

When I moved to NY in the early 90's it was a whole other world. I so remember Glenda saying she had found a club she thought me and Gillian would like. We all worked for Le Croissant Shop, along with her steady of many years, Brian Richardson. Many would remember him as the hot and moody pantomime on TV and around town, an actor par excellence. We all ventured that late night to a place I'd come to know well.

The club was the Sound Factory and the funny thing was that at the time it was Frankie Knuckles, The Godfather of House - who I'd later befriend- who held it down at that point. He had just released his phenomonal hit The Whistle Song. It's funny because he was half of a DJ war that many times left me divided (see Junior Vasquez).

After that introduction Gill and I found shelter at the Shelter for many years with its resident Trini export, Timmy Regisford doing a whole other style that remains inimitable and legendary. The Sound Factory would become, though, in later years, the place where Junior Vasquez claimed my heart. He is one of my favorite House DJs, when he's in a good mood (there were many theories and stories about his state of mind and life when he played sets that left some of us less than effusive about NY's best club night). Junior, to me and many others, was the opposite of Frankie in many ways except in their undeniable mastery of their craft.

I sometimes a longing to be Housed again, in a way that only few can, if you know what I mean, lol.